Nike’s Global Chief Digital Information Officer Ratnakar Lavu has left the company.
“We can confirm that Ratnakar Lavu is no longer at Nike,” a Nike spokesperson told Retail Dive via email. The company did not respond to questions about the reason for Lavu’s departure, when the executive exited the role and if the position would be filled.
According to Insider, which cited an email to employees, Lavu resigned effective immediately and left the role on Monday.
Lavu joined Nike in 2019 as the company’s first chief digital information officer after a lengthy tenure as the chief technology and information officer at Kohl’s. Over the course of his career, he also had extensive experience at Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, according to his LinkedIn.
Eric Sprunk, who at the time of Lavu’s appointment was Nike’s chief operating officer, praised Lavu’s experience when he joined, saying his “track record in building seamless consumer experiences and leading teams through dynamic, digital transformations will further accelerate our growth.”
Digital has been a core part of Nike’s strategy over the years, with the Nike brand notching $10.7 billion in digital sales in fiscal 2022 (up about 17.6% from the prior year). CEO John Donahoe said on a call with analysts in June that its digital business has more than doubled since the pandemic began, according to a Seeking Alpha transcript.
The emphasis on digital is part of a broader strategy that prioritizes Nike’s direct-to-consumer channels over its wholesale partnerships. The company’s direct revenues, which include its own e-commerce and its own stores, made up 42% of its total sales in fiscal 2022.
